Omer Learning

The Wisdom of the Torah Right To Your Cell Phone and Inbox

The annual Omer Learning project strives to turn the Counting of the Omer into a communal and educational experience. Counting of the Omer refers to the 49 days between the Holiday of Passover and the Holiday of Shavuot.

This year’s celebration of Shavuot is especially significant because we are dedicating a new Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll), generously donated by Laura and Jerry Jacobs. This unique and joyful occasion hasn’t happened in our synagogue for decades, and it serves as a link in a chain of study and tradition that goes back thousands of years.

In honor of this occasion, we’re using the Omer Learning project to explore the depth and meaning of what this new Sefer Torah means to us. We’re doing this by using the 49 days of the Omer to highlight insights and lessons the Torah has to offer.

Simply put, what better way to honor the addition of a new Torah to Etz Hayim than to spend 49 days studying it?

Sign up by texting follow omerlearning to the phone number 40404. Or click here to follow along via E-mail. You can also follow us at Twitter at @omerlearning.

FAQ

Why are we studying the entire Torah this year?

We’re dedicating a new Sefer Torah on the first day of Shavuot. What better way to celebrate this occasion than using the 49 days of the Omer as a chance to study the Torah?

Where are these Torah insights coming from? Can I contribute?

They’re coming from people just like you! We would love it if you signed up to contribute your own insights. Get started here.

I joined last year. Do I need to join again?

Nope. You should be all set. We’re using the same e-mail list and Twitter account.

Why join this program?

Shavuot is an underappreciated holiday; counting the Omer is an underappreciated mitzvah. While many of us personally wish to infuse a little bit of Judaism in our daily routine, our busy schedules make it difficult to do so. This program provides a Jewish and communal connection at the tip of your fingers – literally!

According to the Torah (Lev. 23:15), we are obligated to count the days from Passover to Shavu’ot. This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. An omer is a unit of measure. On the second day of Passover, in the days of the Temple, an omer of barley was cut down and brought to the Temple as an offering. This grain offering was referred to as the Omer.

Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night before Shavu’ot, we recite a blessing and state the count of the omer in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, you would say “Today is sixteen days, which is two weeks and two days of the Omer.”

This simple mitzvah of counting days, can be enhanced by combining it with Torah study. Which is what the Omer Learning project is all about.

Can I get these as text messages to my phone?

Sure! When you send the text message follow omerlearning to 40404 you’re telling Twitter you want to get notified anytime a new message is published. You aren’t, however, setting up a new account or making anything public. Trust us, it’s safe to do this. But, if text messages aren’t your thing, don’t sweat it. You can follow along using any other method that works for you.

Do I need e-mail or a cell phone to join?

You can connect with the Omer Learning project in a number of ways: using a cell phone, the web, email or Twitter. Any of these approaches will work just fine. Use the one that’s easiest for you.